Developers continually try to improve the fluid containment and comfort of absorbent articles, such as diapers, incontinence guards, and sanitary napkins. They have addressed side leakage problems by the addition of flexible, often elasticized, outwardly-extending, leg cuffs such as disclosed in Mesek et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,388,075, Mesek U.S. Pat. No. 4,938,754, and Menard et al., EP 0 534 488.
Later, product developers added upwardly extending "barrier cuffs" near the side edge of the absorbent structure in the absorbent articles. Examples of these barrier cuffs can be seen in Enloe, U.S. Pat. No. 4,695,278, Lawson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,695,278, Buell, U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,317, and LeMahieu et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,620,431. These barrier cuffs are often added as separate pieces that must be handled and attached to the absorbent article. These cuffs also include individual or multiple elastic strands or ribbons, and they apply the contracting forces in discrete, spaced, regions.
What is needed is a novel absorbent article having both an outwardly extending side flange and an upwardly extending barrier cuff that is comfortable to the user and that is easily manufactured in a continuous, commercial manufacturing process.